Virginia joins other states in Paris climate goal alliance

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is joining a coalition of governors who say they are committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. McAuliffe said on Monday that Virginia is joining the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan group started by the governors of California, New York and Washington. The governor’s announcement comes a week after Republican President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the United States from the Paris compact, an agreement involving nearly 200 nations aimed at slowing the warming of the planet. McAuliffe, a Democrat, has been highly critical of Trump’s decision to leave the Paris agreement, and recently announced plans to regulate and cap carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in Virginia fired by fossil fuels.